The Pensieve
by Sabine Strohem-Moss
Summary: What if Harry Potter had a pensieve? What if an intrigued Ginny Weasley stumbled upon it? HG


Errr...just a little idea that popped into my mind, inspired by that scene in OotP with the pensieve. HG as always lol. ConCrit is ALWAYS appreciated. As in, if there is _anything_ at all you have an idea on, REVIEW and tell me! MAY BE spoilers. I don't think there are any, but if there are, then sorry. One-shot for now.  
3 SSM

"HARRY! RON! DINNER! NOW!" Ginny yelled, leaping up the stairs, and flinging open the door to Ron's room.

Ginny gazed in, and smiled at seeing Ron and his girlfriend-of-two-months, Hermione Granger sitting hand in hand, staring at something. As she tiptoed closer, (the couple had yet to notice her-their backs were turned) Ginny saw it was a bizarre little cube, made of tinier, painfully bright smaller cubes.

"Rubix cube. _Roo-bihx cube_," Hermione said slowly to Ron, who appeared to be fascinated by the tiny...toy, was it?

Ginny coughed behind them. Ron leapt up, hastily pulling his hand out of Hermione's and Hermione blushed.

"Dinnertime, you two," Ginny informed them, grinning at the glares she received.

"Fine, but get Harry," Ron replied, sticking his tongue out childishly at Ginny before offering his hand to Hermione. She took it, and the duo left the room.

Ginny sighed to herself, fiddling with a strand of hair. She was glad that Ron and Hermione had _finally_ become RonandHermione, but Ginny felt slightly lonely all the same.

"HARRY!" she hollered, walking towards Percy's old room, which Harry was using this summer.

Ginny knocked this time, but upon hearing no answer she tapped the door lightly, and the door creaked open.

"Harry?" she let the door swing gently open, and found the room was empty.

Ginny turned to leave, but something silver caught her eye. Unable to resist, Ginny checked the hallway, and stepped into the room.

In front of her was a small pewter pot, filled with silvery liquid that seemed to be swimming in the container. Ginny was mesmerized; she watched the glossy material drift around, and found her face closer...and closer...and...

"HEY!" Ginny screeched, as her world flipped for a moment before clearing. She looked around her.

She was in the Three Broomsticks, directly in front of a small table where Harry and Hermione were sipping Butterbeers, chatting avidly.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked. To her surprise, the two ignored her completely.

"Hermione?" Ginny waved a hand in front of the girl's face, to no reaction.

_It has to be a memory,_ she thought to herself, _Harry's memory..._

"Oh, just admit it," Hermione playfully slapped Harry's arm, smiling about whatever it was she knew.

Ginny paused to listen, wishing she could sip at the tantalizing butterbeers. (unfortunately, she could still _smell_ the drinks, even if she couldn't taste them)

"Admit what?" Harry asked innocently.

"That you like her!" Hermione squealed.

_Like who? _Ginny wondered. She'd never known much of Harry's love life, but that he had dated Cho Chang for a while in their fifth year.

"Hermione..." Harry began.

"Simple question, Harry: Do. you. like. HER?" Hermione giggled, obviously enjoying teasing Harry like this.

"Alright, well, Hermione," Harry grinned wickedly, "Simple question: do. you. like. RON?"

"You're changing the subject!" Hermione accused, pretending to glare.

"I'll answer if you do," he replied coyly.

"Fine," Hermione muttered resignedly, "But you first!"

"Ok, well, I..." Harry paused, thinking, "don't _like_ Ginny."

Ginny's face fell. She was tempted to scream at the memory-Harry, but settled for sitting herself on the ground, listening half-heartedly.

"I think this past year I've fallen in love with her, Hermione," Harry said, so quietly Ginny could barely hear him.

But she did, and she sprang up.

"OH MY GOD!" Hermione squealed. Ginny would have been stunned by this display of utter girliness had she not been in shock herself.

Harry smiled, relieved, "What about _my_ question?"

_Harry Potter is in LOVE with me?!?_ Ginny's thoughts were racing, when...

The ground beneath her shifted again, and the joke shop vanished. Ginny felt as if she were on a bizarre roller-coaster she had once ridden one, courtesy of Hermione, coming in and out of the tunnels through moments of darkness.

Ginny recognized the room; it was the sixth year boys' dormitory. Ron and Harry were sitting on Ron's bed, Chudley Canons' cards scattered across the less-than-neat sheets. An album was in Ron's hands, and Ron looked deliriously slaphappy.

"Mate, I'm in shock. How could _she_ think of _this_?" Ron asked dreamily, running his fingers over the album.

Ginny rolled her eyes, recognizing the gift. It had been Hermione's Christmas gift to him, though Ginny had given her a push in the right direction. Well, more of an extremely forceful shove, but for a good cause, of course.

Harry grinned, enjoying Ron's stunned reaction to the gift. "I'm proud of her, maybe we've finally gotten through to her!" he joked.

"Talk about bad influences," Ginny muttered. She covered her mouth, knowing she shouldn't be...wherever she was.

"Whadjagetgin?" Ron asked through a mouthful of Christmas chocolate.

"A necklace," Harry replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"From?" Ron inquired, digging through the box of every-flavored beans for something safe-looking.

"_The Sweetest Things_ in Hogsmeade," Harry admitted, "Hermione insisted on helping me out."

"Ah," Ron nodded, "So Hermione picked it?"

Ginny felt her heart drop slightly. She'd loved the necklace he'd given her, and was still wearing it now.

"Nah, she just picked the store. I knew Ginny liked citrines, so that's what I picked," Harry said.

"Yes!" Ginny hissed, grinning.

"RON! PREFECTS EMERGENCY MEETING! NOW!" Hermione's screeching could be heard from the common room.

Ron groaned. "The last 'emergency' was when Neville ate one of the magically re-roasting chestnuts! You'd think they'd cut some slack," he muttered, pulling himself down the stairway.

Harry sat on his bed, twirling a hand mirror over his fingers. Ginny recognized it; he had given it to her with the necklace that Christmas. She even knew the note attached to it by heart:

_Ginny,_

_This is a magical mirror-whisper my name into it and I'll be able to speak to you. _

_It was Sirius' gift to me last Christmas, and I want you to have it. _

_This way you'll always be in my reach, and it might help with other things as well..._

_I hope you have the merriest holiday, you deserve it._

_Harry_

She'd re-read a few times, before using the mirror. Soon afterwards, her mirror-conversations with Harry were frequent, both of them talked whenever they could, creating a strong friendship.

"Ginny," he breathed into the mirror. The only result was a light fog on the glass.

"Merry Christmas then, love," Harry whispered into the mirror, before tucking it beneath his robes.

Ginny's jaw dropped, as she watched him. The fact that we had _fallen in love with her_ seemed like a lingering dream-it had yet to truly click.

"Ginny" A soft, shy voice called out from behind her, and Ginny felt a hand on her arm.

She turned to find Harry, and both of them were spun back into his room.

"H-harry," Ginny squeaked, "I am _so_ sorry!"

Harry was staring at her intently. "What did you see?" he asked quietly, nervously.

"Um...Christmas. And something in Hogsmeade," Ginny replied, thinking fast. It wasn't _exactly_ a lie.

"Gin, I only put two memories in there," he raised his eyebrows.

"Ah," Ginny stammered, "Well then, you know what I saw!"

She regretted the annoyed tone of her statement when she saw the hurt in Harry's eyes as he bit his lip.

"I saw you talking to Hermione in the Three Broomsticks," Ginny admitted shyly, avoiding eye contact.

"So, uh, you heard what I said to her?" Harry mumbled.

"Yeah," Ginny blinked. What had he said? Something big. Really big. Whoa...Ginny blanked out completely.

Apparently it was so big she couldn't quiet wrap her mind around it yet.

"So...what do you think?" he asked timidly.

"Er...well..." Ginny stuttered. She broke off, marveling at how she could forget something so blatantly life-changing.

"Ginny, you just found out I've fallen in love with you!" Harry said, slightly panicked, "Do you have _nothing_ to say?"

Ginny could have slapped herself. _There_ it was.

"Harry I-" she paused, wondering how to speak her thoughts.

"If you don't love me, I can accept that, Gin," he said, hurt.

"No!" she said quickly. In a slower, softer voice she continued, "Harry Potter, I have _always_ loved you, since I first saw you. You really think I still don't?"

Harry gaped at her, and Ginny wondered if he suffered from the same bizarre memory glitch she had encountered a moment ago.

"You do know what I just said, right?" she asked suspiciously.

"You-you said you loved me," Harry answered, in a dazed voice.

"Good," Ginny replied, "Now the real question is: are you as good of a kisser as Cho claims?"

"Ah, you'll just have to find out," Harry replied coyly.

He brushed his lips against hers gently, and Ginny felt sparks shoot through her body. She kissed him back hungrily, enjoying his hands running tenderly along her back.

"Well, well, Ginevra Weasley...what have we here?" Fred and George were leaning in the door frame, both grinning knowingly.

"If you _ever_ mention this, I will personally _destroy_ your shop," Ginny hissed, hand in Harry's.

Fred waved a hand dismissively, "But this is so much juicier than that, Gin, really."

"Well, maybe I could just throw in a bit about, oh say, the _umbrella?_" Ginny suggested.

The twins paled. Last spring, Mr. Weasley had "mysteriously" been carried and stuck to by his umbrella to Bombay, and the culprits never _had_ been found.

"We'll tell mom you'll be there in a minute, then!" George squeaked as they bolted.

Harry grinned, "Remind me _never_ to let you get anything on me."

"Ah, too late, Mr. Potter," Ginny replied airily, "I've already gotten my lip gloss on you right...there"

She kissed his cheek lightly, and Harry fingered the citrine drop around her neck.

"GINNY! HARRY!" Mrs. Weasley's shrieks could be heard from the kitchen.

Harry clasped Ginny's hand bravely, and together they walked down the stairs.

Both of their hearts were brimming with the sweetness of true love, and they knew it.

Now...REVIEW! Any review is a good review :-)

3 SSM


End file.
